Chapter 36
Of course he would choose today of all days to attack, it was perfect planning, attack the grieving pack because they wouldn't be prepared.
And he was right, we weren't ready for a fight today but as his warriors swarmed the territory, we knew that we were outnumbered and unprepared, but we didn't really have a choice but to fight.
It was absolute chaos as those unable to fight made a mad dash to the pack house to seek shelter while warriors and those that were able to fight, shifted and fought with the nearest wolf. I could hear Michael giving out orders via the pack mind link as I tried to make my way to the pack house to make sure that everyone, James included, got in safe so that I could go back and fight. I was too far away from the pack house and I knew that if I would have to shift to get there faster so I stopped near a patch of trees and set James on his feet. He looked up at me, fear and confusion on his face as he reached out for me to carry him again. I grabbed his hands gently in mine.
"Remember when daddy let you and Steve ride on his wolf?"
He nodded.
"Well we're gonna do that okay? We need to get to the pack house really fast so that I can get you somewhere safe okay, so I'm gonna shift and I need you to hop on and hold on really tight because we'll be going really fast okay?"
He nodded again. So I shifted, not bothering to strip, and flattened myself on the ground enough that James was able to scramble up my side and once he had a secure enough grip I took off as fast as I could without throwing him off.
The pack house was in my line of sight when something hit me from the side, knocking James off my back and sending me into a tree hard enough that I felt a rib crack. I quickly got my feet underneath me and shook my fur out, ready to make sure James was okay but if his screaming was anything to go by, he wasn't. And as I looked up, the sight before me made my blood run cold.
The biggest wolf I'd ever seen next to Titus was standing over James, one large paw resting on his small back, pinning him to the ground. Tony.
My panic overrode my common sense and before I could think it through, I moved to lunge at him, but a cracking sound followed by James' screaming stopped me in my tracks. He'd broken his arm. I wanted to rush over to him, but I knew that I wasn't going to be the one making the decisions right now, not with James' life literally under Tony's foot at the moment.
I felt sick as I watched Tony shift back into his human form, bare foot still on James' arm.
"Shift back mutt."
I hesitated a moment too long because he raised his foot and stomped it down onto James' broken arm, forcing pained wails from the little boy. I quickly shifted back, afraid that if I took more than a second to do so, James would pay the price once again.
"Good girl."
I flinched at the phrase that had been so familiar to me. He lifted his foot from James but let it hover just over him.
"Come and get the boy, shut him up, his crying is inconveniencing me."
I quickly made my way to my feet and made my way over to them as confidently as I could. Once I was close enough, he gripped my arm and pulled me flush to his body.
"I've missed you little mate."
I looked him in the eye as I spoke.
"I can't say that I've missed you."
That earned me a backhand across the face and I felt the blood trickling from the cut that was left behind. He looked down at me from my position on the ground.
"Take care with how you speak to me bitch. Remember, I have that bastard boy of yours and you know very well that one word from me would lead to his death. Now shut this one up before I just kill him now."
I rushed to grab James and pull him toward me, trying to shush his wailing.
"Shhh, it's okay, I know it hurts baby, but I need you to please stay quiet. Mommy's going to make you better, you just have to try and stay quiet for me honey."
He was in too much pain and he was too young to know how to handle the pain that came with a broken arm quietly.
"He needs a doctor, just let me get him to a doctor."
"You aren't in a position to be making demands, look around you. Your pathetic pack is outnumbered although I must admit that they are outing up one hell of a fight."
I looked around the fight that was going on around us, we were without a doubt outnumbered but Tony's troops were dropping like flies which seemed like a good thing until I realized that for every one of his wolves that were slain, it seemed like three more showed up to take their place.
"I'm going to have you make a decision little mate, you can choose to surrender and I spare the lives of your precious pack and you come with me willingly, or I can send all of my warriors in at once and have every member in this pack destroyed and take you with me by force, the choice is yours."
I knew the only choice that I really had was to surrender otherwise every man, woman, and child that I was meant to protect would die so I did what I had to do to keep my people safe.
Michael, stop the fighting.
Luna, we can't-
I made a deal with him, he has more in the forest and he's threatening to send them in at once unless I go with him.
Amina, I can't let you do that.
I'm not asking permission, he still has Steve and I refuse to put all these lives at risk unnecessarily.
We can-
No, Michael, stop the fighting. This is the only solution right now. I need you to take care of James while I'm gone.
Yes Luna.
And it was so. The fighting had stopped almost immediately as Tony's wolves retreated back into the forest. Michael quickly approached wearing a pair of shorts and holding a large t-shirt in his hands that he handed over to me.
I quickly slipped on the shirt and gather James back into my arms as I stood to face Tony.
"I surrender and will go with you willingly."
"A wise choice, little mate."
I turned to Michael.
"This is your pack now, take care of it."
"Yes Luna."
There were tears in his eyes as he said it, I knew he wanted to argue that there was another way, but our backs were against the wall and this was our only option right now. I moved to hand James over to Michael, but Tony's voice stopped us short.
"Oh no, the boy comes with us, I may find some use for him."
I whipped around to face him.
"No, my son wasn't a part of the deal. I'll come with you, alone."
He laughed.
"The boy comes with us or this pack is as good as dead."
"He's a baby, you have no use for him!"
"I found a use for you, didn't I?"
I wasn't given a chance to respond as a set of medics that I didn't recognize surrounded me and James.
"Please, we're here to set his arm."
They were quick about it and seemed to cause James as little pain as possible and before long, his arm was encased in a white cast.
"Don't drag him into this Tony."
"I'll do whatever I please, little mate, you'd best remember what I'm capable of."
And just like that our fate was sealed.
**
Walking into the woods felt like a death march as my pack watched their queen and prince be marched into the forest, surrounded on all sides by guards.
You're doing what's right.
My thoughts were my own as I'd been given a drug that would prevent me from mind linking anyone so long as it was in my system. I clutched James tighter too my chest as he curled his body around his broken arm as he clung to my neck with the other, face buried in my neck.
After about an hour or so of walking we stopped and a bag was placed over my head so that I couldn't see where we were. James whimpered and curled closer to me as one was placed over his head as well and I did my best to comfort him.
We walked for what felt like two or three more hours before I felt the leaves of the forest change into compact dirt and the concrete. I figured we were being led into a house of some sort, some place old by the damp smell of it. We were led through a winding set of hallways before we were led down a long flight of stairs, 233 if my count was correct and then my feet came into contact with more compact dirt. Where were we?
A metal door creaked open and I was pushed forcefully in and the door was quickly slammed and bolted shut behind me. I gave it a few seconds before I removed the bag from my head and then James'.
We were underground if the dirt floor and walls were anything to go by. The room we were in was small there were no windows and was free of furniture save for a bucket and a cot which upon closer inspection was occupied by someone. They were small, maybe a child, blonde hair peeking out from under the threadbare blanket.
Wait.
Blond hair.
Could it be?
I rushed over and didn't hesitate to yank the blanket back. The person shot up in alarm, familiar blue eyes darting around the room looking for danger until they finally landed on me.
Oh my goddess.
Steve?
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Mommy?"
Tears of joy fell from my eyes as I laid sight on my little boy. He was alive, bloody and bruised but alive. He threw himself at me as he cried.
"Mommy! You're here, I missed you."
I clutched him close with my free arm, the other still holding James.
"Oh my baby, you're okay."
I clutched both boys close to me and didn't let them go for what felt like hours.
"James, look who it is."
The toddler threw himself at his brother and the two boys embraced, various sounds of 'I missed you' coming from the pair. The three of us sat there just holding onto one another before I broke the silence.
"Steve, why did you leave?"
He looked down and chewed on his lip before sighing.
"The lady who hurt me said that if anybody found out she would hurt daddy and you and daddy found out, so she had somebody hurt daddy just like she said. Then, she came in my room one night and said that if I wanted daddy to get better then I had to call the number and do what they told me so that I could make daddy better. Did it work? Is daddy better? Where is he?"
Just rip it off like a Band-Aid.
"Steve, daddy had to make a trip to heaven."
My heart shattered at the sheer devastation that took over his features.
"No! No! He's a strong daddy, strong daddies don't die!"
I held both boys close to me as we cried together in that damp, dirt room for the man that meant everything to us.
I didn't realize it then, but this was the first day of many that the tree of us would huddle up on this cot and cry together. Because now it was us against the world and the world has a shitty sense of humor.